


Section 5, Paragraph C: Non-Fraternization

by yellowwarbler



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Intersex Omegas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:41:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowwarbler/pseuds/yellowwarbler
Summary: The Flash does Batman a solid during a mission gone wrong. Wally West suffers for it.
Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Wally West
Comments: 9
Kudos: 213





	Section 5, Paragraph C: Non-Fraternization

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place really early on in the series, pre-identity reveal. It's also my first fic in like.... a decade! Self-beta'd only.

_ Asistance needed _ , J'onn's voice sounded loud in Wally's head, somehow roaring above the explosions rocking New York City.  _ Batman is down. _

"I'm closest," Wally said as J'onn projected Batman's location. "Rerouting now!" Another explosion rocked a nearby building as Wally swung wide, running up the side of the adjacent building and turning north, toward the site of the first explosion. Batman stayed behind to investigate while the rest of them moved to damage control.

The building, a forty story multi-office structure, took the worst damage. The windows blew out from the initial blast, and the top five floors collapsed when the second device went off. Batman's last known location was the third floor according to J'onn. Wally sped up the side of the building and into one of the crashed open windows, sliding to a stop in an open hall. He noted the smoke damage, the lingering heat, the doors blown off their hinges - maybe the site of the first device?

"Hey, J'onn, I'm here, but I don't see Bats." He didn't hear anything either. Wally sped through the third floor. Nothing.

_ One floor up _ , came J'onn's terse reply. Something was keeping him occupied. Wally ran up the stairs, mind turning over the possibilities: more aliens? No, aliens weren't big on human tech, and these explosives were definitely human. Military grade, going by Green Lantern. So who--

A bang startled him to a halt. The fourth floor had less damage. More of the doors still remained in place, and at the end of the hall behind one of them something moved. 

Wally stopped in front of the door, pressing his ear to it. Definitely something moving in there. No sign of a fight though. Maybe Batman was injured? J'onn did say he was down…

Rather than chance opening the door and giving away his position if it was an enemy, Wally phased through the door--

...and straight into a face full of gas.

For a moment, just a moment, the world around him warped. His father sprang up from the murky haze, looming over him. His voice, broken and distorted, told him--

Before it could tell him anything, Wally's vision returned to normal. Whatever that gas was, his metabolism burned it up at superspeed. He pushed the door open and spun his arms, funneling the gas from the room. When the haze of the it cleared, all that remained was a broken, turned over table, a few chairs shoved haphazardly about, and at the far end, pacing restlessly, Batman.

Wally often forgot that underneath all that Kevlar and fancy tech, Batman was human. Whatever that gas was, it hadn't cleared from his system in the space of seconds. Without the benefit of an enhanced metabolism, he was deep in its thrall. The experience passed too quickly for Wally to understand what the effect was supposed to be beyond psychedelic. 

"Bats?" He approached slowly, hands up. "You in there?"

Batman stilled. He turned, almost robotic, and fixed his attention on Wally.

"You're looking kinda intense there, Bats. You with me?" He took another few steps and Batman  _ growled _ . The sound froze him in place, sent a thrill of primitive fear racing up his spine to settle in his lizard brain. He shrank under Batman's attention and bared his throat, not that it did him any good in the suit.

Batman stalked toward him. Really, there was no other way to describe how the man moved, like a predator. And Wally? He was most  _ definitely _ the prey.

He'd always wondered what Batman's designation was. It just figured he was an alpha. And apparently on a bad acid trip? Wally still wasn't clear on that, but what he  _ was  _ clear on was that Batman had corned him,  _ literally cornered him _ , that low growl reverberating like an engine. 

Several things occured to Wally at once. Exhibit A: Batman is a whacked out alpha. Exhibit B: Batman felt threatened and was trying to establish dominance. Exhibit C: Wally's scent inhibitor had the faintest trace of alpha. Conclusion:  _ well, shit. _

He could get away. With his speed, there wasn't much Batman could do to stop him, at least not while he wasn't firing on all cylinders. But Batman needed help, and running wasn't helping. He had to calm Batman down, at least enough for one of the others to get here and restrain him so they could get him back to the watchtower. 

"It's me, Bats! Flash? Your old buddy?" The growl neared a roar in volume, and Batman lashed out, getting a hand around Wally's neck. Panicked, he grabbed the wrist with one hand, vibrating it just enough to shock Batman into letting go while he yanked his cowl off with the other. Batman reared back, tense like a coil about to spring. So Wally wasted no time in stimulating his scent gland, letting his hormones cloud Batman's senses. 

The fight drained from Batman, his posture loosening. His attention remained trained on Wally. And then, just as suddenly, he jerked Wally close, buried his face against Wally's scent gland, and inhaled. He groaned, a low and nearly pained sound that turned Wally's spine liquid. He gripped Batman's upper arms, clinging just to keep himself upright under the sudden onslaught of alpha pheromones breaking through Batman's scent blocker.

Wally couldn't believe he was getting wet over the  goddamn Batman nuzzling him. He keened, pressing his body against the alpha--

"Noooo, nonono--" Wally tried to push him off but Batman determinedly crowded closer. "You don't know what you're doing," Wally tried. "If you did, you so wouldn't be doing this with me!"

Teeth grazed his scent gland. Wally's head slammed back against the wall.  _ Getting wet _ no longer covered it. His dick must have been rock solid against Batman, and his cunt was soaking wet. 

This was not going to end well.

And then, like the absolute angel he was, J'onn reconnected to his minds. 

_ Flash, what is Batman's status? I can't reach him  _

"Drugged," Wally squeaked. "Very dru--hands! Hands in new places!" He grabbed Batman's wrist and forced the offending appendages back up, letting him grip Wally's hips.

Confusion filtered through from J'onn's side.  _ Do you require assistance?  _

"Yes! Immediate assistance! Superman only!" Because Batman and the big guy were kind of friends, and Batman might survive the embarrassment of being seen by Supes like this once he was back to normal. The rest of the team? Not so much.

_ Superman heading your way _ .

Batman kept his hands above the waist, but every so often, he dragged his teeth across Wally's scent gland. Wally's pheromones were going crazy. It was nearly like being on the cusp of a heat. 

"Flash I'm here. What's the-- _ oh. _ " Superman! Superman was there! Wally was free!

Or not so much. Rather than relief at the sight of his friend, Batman spun around, pushing Wally against the wall. Wally shoved his cowl back on, hoping Superman was too distracted by all of Batman's current weirdness to notice his face. 

"He's drugged," Wally blurted. "Some kind of gas. It was like a bad trip, but it barely affected me. Bats wasn't so lucky."

"And you're an omega," Superman said. "Which is… good. I might not be able to get him away from you without hurting him though."

"You're probably going to have to knock him out."

The conversation flew right over Batman. He seemed stuck in protect mode, whatever that was like for an alpha. 

"Just get it over with," Wally pleaded. 

Superman grimaced. Then, with a speed rivaling Flash's, zoomed across the room and decked Batman. He dropped like a rock, out cold.

"I'll get him back to the watchtower." Superman stooped down and picked Batman up. "We'll see what the toxin is and find an antidote. Are…" He hesitated. "Are you all right?"

Wally realized he was panting, sucking in air like he couldn't get enough. And he was stupid horny. Probably smelled like a strip club. With his luck, Superman would be an alpha too.

"Fine," Wally said. "I'm totally fine. Great, even! Just… I think I'll head home from here. Call it a night."

"....sure, Flash. Report tomorrow for debriefing." Then, bizarrely, Superman's  _ entire face _ went red. He turned and flew back out the door, probably in search of a window. 

Alone in the room, Flash sank to the ground, legs gone jelly. He just needed a minute. A few seconds. He needed to get his heart rate under control. Then he could run home, whack off, and pretend the whole sorry situation never happened. 

* * *

Wally missed three days of work after that mission.

_ Apparently _ Batman's alpha freakout threw his hormones completely out of whack and really did push him into heat. Wally made it home and crashed that night but he woke up around four in the morning in the middle of a truly spectacular orgasm, like the full body vibration kind. 

So much for that debriefing.

By the time he worked it out of his system, he'd ignored several days worth of calls from the League - totally not on purpose! - and ate every last bit of food in his apartment and spent the equivalent of a full paycheck on takeout.

He'd managed to call in to work, but he'd basically gone AWOL to the League. It was the downside of not knowing anything beyond the mask. Supes knew, probably , and Bats  _ definitely _ knew, probably remembered his face and knew every detail of his life down to his preferred brand of mayonnaise and the fact that he'd forgotten to vote in the last election. 

When he put the communicator in his ear and requested transport, GL was on duty. He didn't say anything beyond a terse  _ affirmative _ , but Wally's stomach dropped at the long pause before he'd acknowledged the transmission. They were angry with him. Of  _ course _ they were angry. Hell, he'd have been angry if one of them dropped off the face of the earth for a few days and came back without an explanation.

The bright light of the transport beam surrounded him, and his apartment spun into a disorienting whirl of color before finally unwinding into the teleportation room in the watchtower. Green Lantern sat at the controls, his attention fixed on Wally. 

"Uh, hey man." Wally gave an awkward half-shrug and half-wave. "Sorry for the radio silence. I've been--"

"Superman vouched for you," GL said. "So did Batman. So I get whatever you were doing was important. But!" He came around the console and got right in Wally's face, jabbing one finger into his chest. "If you  _ ever  _ disappear like that after  _ requesting immediate backup _ , I'll hunt you down myself. Got it, hotshot?" He sounded angry, but Wally could read between the lines.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. It wasn't related to the mission." He hesitated before adding, "It was a personal thing."

Lantern's face softened. "Everything all right?"

"Right as rain now! Come on, I need to go get chewed out a few more times, I think."

Hawkgirl came tearing into the teleportation room, mace at the ready. Green Lantern patted Wally's shoulder. "I think you're right."

For a moment, Wally felt the urge to take off his cowl. He could trust GL. He could trust any of them. Maybe if they knew his name, they'd tell him theirs. Then they'd really be friends. And Wally figured he could use a few more of those.

Not yet, he decided as Hawkgirl descended upon him. But soon. 

* * *

Batman was avoiding him.

Wally wasn't surprised. How could he be? Mr. Tall-Dark-and-full-of-angst? Avoiding a potentially embarrassing and emotional conversation? It didn't take a forensic scientist (or even a forensic technician) to figure that one out.

But knowing is different than understanding.

A part of Wally, the intrinsic omega part of him he couldn't seem to shake, felt the rejection like a blade slipped between his ribs. It  _ hurt _ . The logic of the situation, the reality of it, wasn't the issue. Batman wasn't his alpha anymore than Wally was his omega. But Batman's stupid pheromones and all that action he  _ hadn't _ gotten leading to his abrupt heat didn't just leave him wet and wanting. His biology had accepted Batman's. They were unfortunately… compatible.

How  _ bizarre _ was that? Wallace Rudolph West and Batman? Obviously it would never happen, not in a million years, but convincing his body otherwise was becoming an issue.

Especially since Batman was doing his level best to never be alone in a room with Wally.

"Don't get what he thinks is going to happen," Wally grumbled, prying open another container of dry yet calorie-dense protein bars. He took a bite, grimaced, and tossed back a gulp of water. 

"I think it's the not knowing that bothers him." Superman sat down across from Wally holding a mug, the aroma of coffee wafting through the air between them. His mug said  _ I want to believe  _ with a little UFO above the text _.  _ Wally snickered.

He waved, choking down the bar and setting aside the rest. "I can believe that." The canteen was empty in the early morning hours. Wally was usually the only one zipping in and out around the clock. It got kind of lonely sometimes. Having Superman around would be a nice change of pace.

"He'll get over it," Supes said. "But that's not really what I wanted to talk to you about."

Wally looked down at the protein bar. He'd cracked it into small pieces, a layer of dust spread out around it. He swiped the mess up and threw it away in the space of a second. Superman tracked his movements. He'd unsettled Wally at first, but the more he learned about Superman the more at ease he felt. Who better to have his back than someone who could keep up with him? 

"On Krypton, there weren't many omegas left." Superman took a long swig of coffee. "Not many alphas either. And unlike Earth, Kryptonian betas couldn't carry, not without serious risk. They found ways around it. But at a cost. By the time I was born, the instincts inherent in those designations were gone."

"Gone?" Wally frowned. "Like…. They'd evolved past them?"

Superman shrugged. "Maybe. Or it may have been that the reproductive system they set up was flawed. I'll never really know. But the point is, I'll never experience what you and Batman do. More than that," and here he made sure Wally was looking him in the eye, "I'll never be affected by it. If something like that happens again, call me. I'll be listening. Even if it's not as the Flash."

Wally stilled. There it was, the kicker. "So you did see me."

"To be fair, I saw a lot more in that room of both of you than I ever really wanted to. But I just wanted you to know, you can trust me." 

He was so  _ earnest _ . So--how could anyone really describe Superman? He was safe, that was it. Wally just felt safe around him. So there was nothing left to do but hold out his hand and say, "Wally West. Nice to meet you."

He'd expected Superman to shake his hand, and even the blinding smile hadn't been surprising. But he hadn't been prepared to hear, "Clark Kent. The pleasure's mine." Wally's mouth dropped open. Superman--no, Clark laughed at him. "You'll catch flies that way."

Wally's mouth snapped shut. "Your secret is safe with me," he rushed out. "Like, I'd never tell anyone!"

"I know. I trust you, Wally. We all do."

If Clark said it, it had to be true. He probably couldn't lie, like George Washington-style. Wally spent the rest of the morning walking on air. Even leaving the watchtower for work and getting pulled to assist with a triple homicide didn't kill his buzz. 

Clark  _ trusted _ him. That meant he took Wally seriously. He'd even told Wally all about his day job as a reporter for the Daily Planet which made him even better in Wally's opinion. His Aunt Iris had been a reporter.

"I didn't take you for a news fan," Pam said, pulling her gloves off and tossing them in the garbage. "Especially not for a Metropolis outfit! What's wrong with Central City News?"

"I just like to have all sides of the story," Wally said airily. 

Pam rolled her eyes. "When you're back from break, can you catalogue for me? I'm still working on the wet samples."

"Sure thing." He'd take labeling pocket watches and wallets to dealing with the squishy evidence any day. Sometimes he really missed being a mechanic. He never had to deal with dead bodies then! But being a forensic tech made him feel closer to Barry. 

Even if the pay was crap.

Wally's tendency to hemorrhage money notwithstanding, the job was a good one. He managed to balance his day job and his night job with minimal issues. His speed kept him from feeling the loss of sleep, and even his heats tended to be on the milder end of the spectrum. And now he had real friends, people who could understand the different roles he had to play because they were dealt the same hand. 

Yeah, life was good.

* * *

Life was  _ not  _ good.

"I figured you guys did the mission debriefing without me."

Clark shrugged. "Batman wouldn't let us. I tried, but…" 

Wally slumped. "Yeah, he's hard to argue with. Just how personal do I have to get?" Debriefings were still weird for him. Even back when he ran with Barry, they'd never been formal. Barry would sit him down, food piled on the table, and they'd eat everything in sight. If something went wrong, Barry talked to him, made sure he was okay. But breaking things down minute by minute flat out sucked.

"Well… I'd let him lead if I were you."

Wally followed Clark into the meeting hall, taking a seat between him and Hawkgirl. Batman stood at the head of the table appearing to be in deep conversation with J'onn. Wally tried to catch his eye, tried to get Bats to just  _ look _ at him, but the man didn't so much as blink in Wally's direction.

"Five days ago," Wally jumped at the startling loudness of Clark's voice, "we were alerted to an explosive device going off in New York City."

"The investment firm targeted had ties to the Falcone family in Gotham," Batman broke in. The monitor at the head of the table flickered to life with images from CCTV prior to the explosions. Wally watched the men place a device, all of them dressed like janitors. "My Intel shows that the firm was bought out last month. The owner didn't play by Falcone's rules."

"But why the other targets?" Wonder Woman asked. "If this one building was the only real target--"

"It was," Batman confirmed. "But the setup went wrong." He tapped the keyboard and a new video popped up. The same men as before were placing the secondary device as well as… small canisters? And then one of the goons stepped on one of the cannisters. The gas he and Batman were exposed to came pouring out. "Fear gas," Batman announced. On screen, the men began to panic. They trod over the remaining cannisters in the rush to escape the room. Batman froze the screen. "I can't say what they experienced or why they chose to place explosives at random in the city, but look here." He rewound and refocused the feed. Just before the first cannisters broke, one man, his face carefully at the wrong angle for the camera, backed out of the room.

"So it was a setup." GL looked grim.

Batman nodded. "And despite the odd choice of subsequent targets following exposure, I can state from experience that none of them would have been capable of arming those devices. Whoever supplied the fear gas is behind this."

"Who usually supplies it?" Wally asked. Batman looked at him-- _ finally _ looked at him, and sparks went off up and down Wally's spine. "Scarecrow," Batman said after a lengthy pause. "But he's been in Akrham for the last six months. I've yet to determine who has access to his supply right now."

"But them working outside of Gotham," Hawkgirl pointed out, "that's unusual, right?"

"Incredibly. I doubt Falcone was more than a pawn in this."

The speculation went on for another hour. Wally didn't add much, still turning over the new facts in his mind.  _ Fear gas _ . Batman had been whacked out on fear gas. No wonder the guy had latched on to him like that. Wally tried to remember the brief moment he'd been under its influence, but even the hallucination of his father with its inhuman face was a vague memory at best. What did Batman see? Wally chewed at the end of his pen, his leg vibrating. How afraid had he been? Wally brought him out of it. Wally's scent. He did that. He was a good omega, took care of his alpha--

"Oh jesus," Wally blurted. The pen went shooting off, hitting the wall before landing on the floor and rolling to a stop.

Everyone stared at him.

"Do you have something to add, Flash?" J'onn's voice was calm. Batman's face glaring over the Martian's shoulder was decidedly  _ not _ .

"Nope! All good here! Just thinking about, you know, all that…. Crime." Beside him, Clark let out a choked sound. The bastard was  _ laughing _ at him.

"Then we'll continue onto the next point," Batman began, but Hawkgirl cut him off.

"And forget that  _ you  _ had to be rescued by Flash and Superman? Where's the play by play for that?"

Normally Wally would be all over that, but in that moment, all he wanted to do was melt into the chair. Clark put his hand on Wally's leg which had been vibrating hard enough to shake the table.

Batman glanced at the two of them. "That  _ is _ the next topic. I was caught off guard. The fear gas affected me before I could take the antidote."

"You had an antidote?" Wally sat straight up again. "The entire time?"

An expression Wally couldn't place flitted across Batman's face, there and gone in seconds. "I did. I was unable to communicate that to you." Or anything else. "We need procedures in place for next time. Flash was fortunate. His body metabolized the gas too quickly for it to affect him, but that isn't true for all of us." He nodded at J'onn who levitated a stack of spiral bound books from the floor beside him and passed them out. Wally grabbed his and flipped open the front cover. He groaned.

"So now we have to deal with human resources too?" Bat-Resources? The bold words  **POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE** stared up at him. 

There was probably a PowerPoint too. 

"Is this really necessary?" Hawkgirl flipped through the book. "We're warriors. We battle aliens. I fail to see the purpose--"

"A flaw I'm well aware of," Batman cut her off. Huh. Apparently he  _ was _ sore she'd called him out. "Flash ran into a situation with no intell and  _ anything  _ could have happened."

Wally raised a hand. "It really wasn't  _ that _ \--"

" _ Anything _ could have happened," Batman ground out. Wally put his hand back down. "I've established a groundwork for field policies for the League with J'onn's help. If you have tactically sound suggestions, submit them in writing."

Wally tuned out the ensuing fight in order to flip through the book. Batman must work in human resources or something to be able to pull this out of his ass in the space of a week. There was a section for everything, including designations. Even a bit on heat leave.

He closed the book. Was this out of consideration for him? Or did Batman think he was a liability? Because he  _ wasn't _ . Wally was a hero, same as the rest. He didn't need special rules. He didn't need to share that part of himself with the League at all. The warmth he'd felt about a future where they shared the personal parts of their lives dimmed. Maybe they'd all consider him a risk, something to be coddled. Maybe he really was a joke.

"...nothing productive to add, then we should call it a day." Clark had put a stop to the argument, thank God. Wally just felt tired now. 

But then he saw Batman leave the room. Alone. The weariness settled over him lifted just as quickly. Wally sped out of his seat and cut Batman off before he could make it to the hangar. "Bats!"

Batman's face remained impassive. "Flash."

"We should talk."

"You're right."

Wally stared, flabbergasted. "I am? I mean, yeah! You're damn right I am!"

"I owe you an apology. I lost control, Flash. What I did was inexcusable."

So this conversation was not going at  _ all _ the way Wally expected. "That's… not really what I meant," he said gently. "You were out of it, man. There's nothing you could have done differently. And anyway, it's not like you hurt me."

"What I did constitutes assault in Gotham."

"That's really not what happened. Seriously, you were out of your mind! I'm pretty sure you thought you were protecting me." And then, because Wally never knew when to stop, "And anyway, there was minimal groping. It was so tame I can't believe it threw me into heat." 

Dead silence. Wally replayed the words in his head. Fuck.  _ Fuck. _

"So no harm done!" He blurted, slapping a palm against Batman's chest. "See ya around, Bats!"

Batman grabbed Wally's wrist. The feel of him, even through his gauntlets, froze Wally in place. "Wait." The word lacked its usual force. Batman sounded like he was pleading. "I made you something."

"You made me something." Wally couldn't figure out what his face was doing, but it must have been encouraging because Batman let his wrist go and pulled something from his utility belt: a small bottle. 

"It's a new scent inhibitor," he explained, handing it over. "Ten times more effective. But the scent is what makes the difference. It's a complete neutral."

Neutral… meaning no alpha? "I--thanks, Bats. But having an alpha scent made me kind of, you know. Intimidating."

"No, it didn't."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bats. I can always count on you to lift my spirits."

"I tried to attack you because you smelled like an alpha. If you'd been neutral, you wouldn't have had to reveal yourself to me."

"How do you remember that?" Wally was amazed. He barely remembered what he had for breakfast.

"I record everything. Camera in the cowl."

Right, okay. That was kind of creepy. "Even this conversation?"

"Yes."

Well, he got points for honesty. "Bats, look, I get it. I knew once you saw my face you'd figure out a way to get the rest."

"Your face wouldn't have told me anything. Do you have any idea how many redheaded male Omegas live in Nebraska?"

"No?" 

"I already knew you. Who you are."

Of course he did. "You know everyone, don't you?" Batman said nothing. Of  _ course _ . "Okay. Well, can't say I'm surprised." 

"You're disappointed."

Was he? Wally felt so thrown by the conversation he couldn't tell how he felt. Batman made him a new scent inhibitor. Batman thought Wally smelling like an alpha was dangerous and inconvenient. Batman knew Wally's name. 

Batman didn't volunteer his own.

"Clark knows too," Wally said. He didn't know what else to say, just that he had to break the silence.

Batman, absurdly, did not expect that. "Clark," he said, mouth twisting like he'd tasted something bad.

Equally bizarre, the next thing out of Wally's mouth was, "I've been reading the Daily Planet a lot."

Batman walked around Wally and disappeared into the hangar without another word.

"Good talk," Wally said into the quiet Batman left behind. "Let's do this again  _ never _ ."

* * *

The thing was, Wally was ready to be over it. The whole weird vibe between him and Bats? Nothing but a blip on the radar. He should be over it.

Wally spun the bottle on the tip of his finger, then let it free fall before catching it.

Batman gave him a gift. He  _ made _ him a gift. Wasn't that…  _ odd _ ? If it was any other alpha, he'd wonder if it wasn't some sad attempt at courting. Very sad, actually, because they were basically just work buddies. 

Acquaintances.

_ Whatever _ .

The point remained. Batman just had to go and make it weird.

As if it wasn't difficult enough to ignore his  _ own _ crap! Wally still caught himself remembering Batman's scent. Getting hard over it. When he'd finally broken down and googled it, the answer had been as unsatisfying as the problem. 

_ Pseudo-bonds, which can stimulate and bring on a Heat Event, occur when the pheromones of an alpha and omega resonate with a high degree of compatibility.  _

Apparently it just  _ happened _ . Even to complete strangers which he and Bats might as well have been. 

Wally dropped his phone on the couch and groaned, burying his face in his hands. The worst part, the  _ very _ worst part, was that if Batman would just act casual, Wally could let it go. All they'd done was smell each other! How had it gotten so out of hand? 

When his League communicator went off, Wally welcomed the distraction. He'd take kicking ass over dealing with feelings any day.

* * *

Wally was  _ beat _ . He wanted to teleport home, but he was so  _ hungry _ . He hadn't stopped by the store in a few days. It was just easier to head to the canteen and eat as much as he could get his hands on. The watchtower had the  _ best _ food.

"That hit the spot!" Wally stood and stretched his arms over his head. The hunger kept the exhaustion at bay, but now he was pleasantly weighted down by the massive volume of food he'd crammed into his mouth. He felt like he could sleep for days.

So of  _ course _ he ran into Batman before he could get to the transport room.

"Hey," Wally said, waving awkwardly. "Good work today." 

"You wore it."

O _ kay _ , apparently they were skipping the small talk and going straight to the awkward posturing. 

"The scent inhibitor," Batman clarified when Wally continued to stare blankly at him. "I noticed."

Again,  _ what the fuck _ ? "Yeah, it worked as well as you said," Wally agreed after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "Thanks."

"It was an interesting reconfiguration of an earlier attempt."

And the weird train just kept on rolling. "Yeah, you… made it yourself?"

"I did."

Silence again. Wally wanted to scream. What were they doing? "Okay, well, I'm beat. I'm heading out." He started to pass Batman, reached up and clapped a hand on his shoulder, but the contact froze them both.

It was just like one of those Hallmark movies he always laughed at. He turned toward Batman. Batman walked him back against the wall. His back pressed into the panneling and opened the door to the hangar.

They didn't discuss it. They both just moved, not quite pressed chest to toe but close enough. Wally panted into Batman's mouth. His hand slammed down on the paneling behind them to close the hangar door again. He reached up, hand shaking, and tugged off his cowl.

Batman pressed closer, his lips ghosting along the edge of his jaw, his ear, then down the curve of his neck toward his gland.

"Your  _ scent _ …" Batman rasped. He kissed Wally's gland, drawing a low keen from deep within him, an animalistic noise he'd never before heard himself make. "I think about it," Batman continued, "all the time-- _ Wally _ \--"

"Come on," Wally dragged his hands down Batman's chest, grabbed him by his belt and yanked him closer. "Come  _ on _ \--" He'd said his name, fuck,  _ Batman said his name _ !

Batman let Wally pull him into the space between his legs. Wally grinded against him, his mouth open, head falling back against the wall. It felt good. It felt  _ so damn good _ .

"Touch me," he demanded. "Please, just--anywhere, just get your hands on me!"

If anyone saw them now, there'd be no bluffing. He was all but begging Batman to fuck him, practically climbing the man like a tree, and Batman--

Batman stopped moving. 

Wally let his leg fall from where he'd curled it around Batman's legs. With effort, he stopped the tremors wracking his body. "What? Bats,  _ what _ \--"

Abruptly, Batman shoved himself back. His mouth opened, closed, then pressed into a line, lips white. "This was a mistake."

The burning heat snaking through him shattered, leaving ice in its wake. "A mistake?"

"I can't--not with you. A mistake like this could destroy the League." The awkward fumbling alpha disappeared. Batman was control personified.

Wally was going to get whiplash at this rate.

He put his cowl back on. "You keep saying that. Mistake. If that's the way you feel--"

"It is. We need to keep this professional."

Okay, seriously?  _ Professional _ ? When he was the one who--

No. Wally shook it off. He blew out a long breath. "Okay.  _ Okay _ . If that's what you want. I--"

Batman's back was already turned. 

Professional. Sure, Wally could do that. He'd leave and pretend this never happen, that he'd never felt Batman's mouth on him, his hands--

Wally went home and dumped the bottle of scent inhibitor down the drain.

* * *

"What you need," Pam said decisively, "is a new alpha. Forget that asshole."

Wally rolled his eyes. He handed over the completed inventory and tried to shoo Pam away, but she wouldn't be deterred.

"I don't even know why you try anymore. I never say yes."

"You'll wear down eventually. Besides, I know the perfect alpha! She's gorgeous. You'll love her!"

"Isn't there a murder you should be, like, investigating? Anywhere but here?" He liked Pam, he did. She was pretty much his only work friend, but she'd been fixated on setting Wally up with one of her friends since the department hired him.

To be fair, he'd made the mistake of bitching about Batman to her. No names, of course, but a guy needed to vent, and he couldn't exactly talk to anyone in the League about it. That damn handbook actually had a policy forbidding gossip. How, exactly, did Batman intend to enforce that?

And the non-fraternization policy? Wally had never come closer to destroying League property. What a damn hypocrite!

"See? I can tell," Pam said. "You're thinking about it!"

Wally grimaced. He actually  _ was _ . 

Would it be so bad, meeting an alpha? Especially a non-League one. He'd gotten used to being alone, to spending heats locked up and boiling over with frustration. Being a vigilante and dealing with work ate up nearly all of his free time. Maybe, just this once, he could take a break. Be a little selfish.

Pam watched him, a gleam in her eye. Wally held up his hands in surrender. 

"One date," he said. She cheered. "Just one! And then we'll never talk about it again."

"I'll help you plan your wedding," she said loftily. "I'll be the guest of honor."

One date. He could do one date. People dated all the time, and Wally was a people. Person. Whatever. 

He could totally handle one date.

But something about it didn't sit right. Guilt, he realized. He felt guilty. Like he was betraying Batman.

Batman never asked him for anything. And he damn well didn't give anything either. He'd told Wally to move on, be professional. Dating someone outside the League was basically a policy Batman wrote himself! So really, Batman would want him to date. 

It was  _ in the handbook _ .

But the off-putting guilt didn't subside. It followed him right up to the watchtower where he'd volunteered for monitor duty with Hawkgirl.

It had actually been Superman's idea: everyone take a few shifts a week to give J'onn downtime. Wally was all for giving the Martian a chance to explore Earth and make a life for himself. 

But on the other hand…. Monitor duty.  _ Eight hours _ .

_ For J'onn _ , he reminded himself.  _ Do it for J'onn. _

By the time monitor duty ended, Wally was ready to vibrate out of his skin.

"You're like a sad puppy," Hawkgirl said. "I don't know how you're going to do this on a regular basis."

"Eight  _ hours _ ," Wally groaned. "It's hell. It's pure hell!"

"It's not that bad."

"Supes! My relief! You're a sight for sore eyes, big guy!" Wally jumped out of his seat. 

Clark opened his mouth to say something, but Batman came around him and walked straight to the monitor. "Sitrep?"

Wally kept his mouth shut. Hawkgirl looked at him expectantly, then slumped. "Nothing. It's quiet."

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'm out of here--"

"Be here tomorrow at 1800," Batman interrupted. "We need to discuss--"

"Can't," Wally said. It was petty, but interrupting Batman was probably all the revenge he'd ever get.

Batman finally looked at him. "Can't. You  _ can _ 't come to a mandatory League meeting."

Wally didn't look at him. "I have a date."

"A date? Of all the irresponsible--your first priority is the League, Flash. If you're too childish to remember that--"

"Batman, that's not--"

Wally shoved past Clark. "Newsflash, Batman! All of us have personal lives! And I don't owe mine to the League or anyone else!"

Hawkgirl's eyes moved between them, her lips thin. Clark kept trying to intervene, but it was too late for that,  _ way _ too late. 

"You ceased to have a personal life the moment you became the Flash." Batman's voice was quiet, his anger venemous. 

"Is that how it is? My bad! I guess we're all just robots programmed for crime fighting like you!" Wally lashed out, shoving Batman. "If that's what you want me to be, then why doesn't it apply to you?!" Another push. "Why won't you tell me your name!?" 

Batman backed into the monitor. Hawkgirl and Clark were trying to talk them down, but Wally was done. The anger bled out of him with the realization that he'd never get what he wanted out of Batman. "Man, just forget it." He sped out of the room, straight to the teleportation pad.

He had a date to meet.

* * *

Linda was  _ gorgeous _ .

He shouldn't be surprised. He knew Pam had great taste, but Linda was top to bottom his exact type. Dark hair, brilliant, and a sense of humor he couldn't get enough of. Her scent was sharp and intense, just like Batman's but without that edge of being almost too intense to tolerate. She was  _ perfect _ .

Wally couldn't stop talking about Batman.

Well, not Batman, per se. He wasn't stupid. But his "jackass coworker". He may have said Batman was as hot as he was stupid. Not a great first date conversation.

_ Shut up _ , he told his traitorous mouth.  _ Shutupshutupshutup! _

His mouth kept moving. Linda actually yawned.

She'd picked him up from his apartment in a cool little red hybrid. She kissed his cheek and opened the door for him, been nothing but courteous. Even the tapas bar she picked was perfect with its intimate atmosphere and amazing food. She would be so easy to like, and Wally couldn't do it.

He sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry. I thought this was a good idea but--"

"Yeah, you are  _ way _ into your coworker." Linda took a sip of her margarita. "Too bad. We could have had fun."

Hell yeah they could have. She looked like the type to push him around in bed, hold him down and go to town. Wally was all about that in an alpha. But he was too hung up on the goddamn Batman to give her shot. He wanted to. He wished he could.

"I don't  _ want _ to like him. He's a jerk."

"You like what you like," Linda said, not seeming overly broken up about it. "So do you think you'll give him a shot?"

"Nah, no point. He's not interested."

Linda rolled her eyes. "How do you figure that?"

"I'm just… not his type. He thinks--" Wally hesitated. What  _ did _ Bats think of him? He'd thought enough of Wally to put his hands on him in full view of one of the watchtower security cameras. 

"Mhm. I bet he does." 

"So… friends?" Wally asked. He held out a hand.

"Friends," Linda confirmed, shaking his hand. "You're a pretty crappy date though, just FYI."

"Can't argue with you there." Wally winced. "I'm really sorry--"

Linda waved a hand, cutting him off. "Don't apologize. I know Pam. She probably caught you and wouldn't let up until you agreed." She laughed. "She's been setting me up with every omega coworker she could trap since college."

With the pressure of a first date no longer hanging over him, Wally actually enjoyed himself. He didn't have many friends, not since he'd taken on the mantle of the Flash after Barry died. He just didn't have the time. 

Maybe he needed to make time.

When the evening wound down, Linda drove him home. She walked him to his door, and when he turned around to say goodnight, she caged him between her arms and kissed him, her breasts pressed to his chest, the scent of her surrounding him.

"If you ever decide to move on from your jerk," she said, drawing back, "give me a call." She grinned. "Your treat next time."

Wally watched her leave, the swing of her hips as she disappeared down the stairs. It was tempting. It was  _ so _ tempting. But it wouldn't be right to lead her on, not when he couldn't shake Batman off him, couldn't look around without seeing something that brought him to mind. 

He moped around for the rest of the weekend, breaking in the evening to run a quick patrol through the city. He needed something to do, something to focus on other than how angry and hurt he was. Finally, on Sunday, that distraction came in the form of Clark Kent.

The phone rang around ten in the morning, Wally still channel surfing on his couch and wolfing down his third bowl of oatmeal.

"Wally West," he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Wally? It's Clark. I just wanted to see how you're doing."

"Clark! Hey man!" Wally put the bowl down, straightening up on the couch. "I'm good. What's up?"

"Are you busy? I wanted to talk to you." He stopped, and the sound of Clark walking, a low murmur of words and the brush of fabric against the phone told Wally he was probably out somewhere. "About our… mutual friend."

Mutual friend? Oh. Batman. Wally shifted again, frowning. "It's fine, Clark. I was just mad. I'm over it."

"Are you?" Clark asked. He sounded skeptical. He was right to be. "Because that argument seemed pretty personal. And we haven't seen you around since…"

"You're a hard guy to lie to. Anyone ever told you that?" Wally sighed, raking a hand through his hair. He needed a shower. He needed out of this conversation. "Look, it's between Bats and me, and the less said the better. This whole thing is going to blow over soon. I don't want to drag it out for everyone to see."

Clark stayed quiet for a moment. Then, "I've known him a long time. Longer than anyone else in… at work. And you know, I've never seen him pull a stunt like that?"

"How do you mean?"

"Something's going on between you two--don't deny it. I don't need details. The point is, he's had a rough life. It's changed him. He doesn't think the way a normal person does. Everything is catastrophic, even if it seems like nothing bothers him. You know? So how he reacts to things like this," Clark broke off, chuckling. "Honestly he reacts like a little kid. Pulling pigtails."

"I don't know what he wants from me," Wally admitted. "He won't tell me. Every time we get close, he just… runs. Panics. I can't deal with that, Clark."

"Then don't. He's an adult. He can take it if you tell him to knock it off. But that's the thing, Wally. He'll probably never ask you. He'll just dance around you while he convinces himself how bad an idea you are."

That sounded like Bats. "So what? I should ask him out? Take him to a movie and hold his hand and he'll turn into a real boy?"

"I'm pretty sure a movie is  _ not  _ the way to go," whatever that meant, "but yeah, the ball's in your court, Wally. Just go easy on him. For me? He's not as invulnerable as he likes to pretend he is."

Clark talked like it was a given Wally would turn Batman away. Like it was obvious that Wally was in control. He wished he had Clark's confidence because he had  _ no clue _ what Batman wanted. 

The conversation ate at him all day. He couldn't focus on paying bills, grocery shopping, or scrolling through the internet on his phone. He just kept thinking about it.

_ Go easy on him _ , Clark said. He hoped someone, somewhere was reminding Batman to go easy on Wally.

As the day wound down, Wally gave up and trying to distract himself. With any luck, one of the rogues would commit a crime. He could use a good bank robbery. He turned on the local news, but the worst thing happening was a three car wreck blocking the off ramp from the interstate to downtown. Annoying, sure, but not exactly the kind of action he needed.

A knock on the door pulled Wally out of his head. He turned the news on mute and forced himself to open the door at normal speed.

A celebrity was on the other side.

He wore sunglasses - _ indoors and at night _ \- and a hood, but Bruce Wayne was a very distinct looking man, by which Wally meant  _ hot as hell _ . He also looked very uncomfortable.

"Your car broke down," Wally tried. "And you knocked on two floors worth of doors before getting to me. Am I warm?" He looked outside toward the stairs. "Where's the camera?"

"No cameras," said Bruce Wayne, billionaire. He took off the sunglasses. His eyes were  _ so  _ blue, like ridiculously blue. How was he even real? "Can I come in?"

Wally stepped aside. "Why not? My life is just a series of bizarre happenings at this point."

Bruce Wayne, Gotham celebrity, had nothing to say about the sorry state of Wally's life. He stepped into the shoebox apartment and moved aside for Wally to shut the door.

_ Gotham _ , Wally mouthed. Bruce Wayne was from Gotham. Bruce Wayne was an eccentric, billionaire alpha from  _ Gotham _ .

If that didn't clue him in, the scent of him certainly would.

But he couldn't say it. In fact, Wally couldn't seem to say anything. He just stared at Bruce, disbelieving.

Bruce held out a hand, those clear sky blue eyes fixed on Wally and every bit as unnervingly intense as the blank glare of his cowl. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wally West. I'm Bruce Wayne." He broke eye contact for a moment before refocusing. "My coworkers call me Batman."

Wally grabbed his hand and shook. "You big liar," he said, grinning. "They totally call you Mr. Wayne."

"Not the ones who matter." Bruce grimaced, the good humor fading. He let Wally's hand go. "I owe you an apology."

"That's all you ever do. Apologize." Wally crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you even know what you're sorry for?"

"I crossed a line. Violated your boundaries. I treated you like--" He broke off.

"Like  _ what _ , Bruce? Because I'm still pretty damn unclear about what's going through your head!"

Bruce closed his eyes when Wally said his name. "I treated you like you were mine," he finally said, quiet, "when I had no right."

"You could have asked. I just… it was just scent, Bruce. That's it. We were just really, stupidly compatible!" It happened sometimes. All the books said so. But it was just a possibility, not a promise.

"Were?" Bruce's voice went flat, hollow.

"We  _ are _ ," Wally corrected. God, but the conversation was wearing him out. "But it doesn't have to mean anything, Bruce. Not unless we want it to. You could have ignored it. I wasn't exactly chasing you through the watchtower!"

"I wanted it to." Bruce spoke so quietly Wally had to step closer. "I still want it to." There was something raw in Bruce's voice, something young and wanting that made Wally want to equal parts run screaming into the hills and wrap his arms around the gorgeous man in front of him and never let go. "I don't do this. Not really."

"Words, Bruce. I need more than that." But still, Wally moved closer, drawn in by the scent of him, by the depth of feeling in his voice.

"Dating. Relationships. It's not something I do."

"Oh  _ that _ ," Wally said, laughing. "I know. I read all about it in your handbook."

"I thought if I made it a rule, I'd forget about it." Bruce looked rueful. "It made things worse." He reached for Wally, hands cautious, slow. Wally stepped closer again, letting Bruce's hands grab at his arms, holding him like something precious. "If--if you're willing. If you can forgive what I've done."

"Let's skip the guilt," Wally interrupted. "Just ask for it, Bruce. Ask for what you want."  _ Please ask _ , he thought.  _ Please ask for me _ . 

"I want you," Bruce said at last, and like a dam bursting, the need between them gave way. Wally pressed his forehead down to Bruce's shoulder, felt the man run a hand up his back and bury itself in his hair. "We should go slow. But. I want to try."

Wally wrapped his arms around Bruce. "I guess I'm onboard with that."

"I can be difficult." Bruce's breath ran down the curve of Wally's neck. "I've been described as an acquired taste."

"It's because you're kind of an asshole sometimes," Wally said. He stepped back, sliding his hands up to Bruce's face, pulling him in. "Lucky for you I'm kind of into that."

When they kissed, it was nothing like the frantic need back in the hangar, a torrent of desperation. He didn't need to keep Bruce close for fear of losing him altogether. Bruce kissed him softly, gently, and he laughed into Wally's mouth when Wally bit his lip. 

"Hey Bruce," Wally murmured.

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna have to redo the manual."

Bruce broke the kiss. He buried his face in Wally's neck, the side opposite of his scent gland, and laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a Tumblr here: yellow-warbler.tumblr.com. come talk about BatFlash with me!


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